Little Red
by LittleMissRevolution
Summary: My Les Mis fanfic: Little Red, about my OC Jennette- the younger sister of Enjolras! :DD Modern AU, Mild violence, strong language, fluff, feels, etc
1. Chapter 1

Courfeyrac's POV

The voices of everyone at La Musain that evening grew, forming a din that could be heard from out in the street. I checked the clock on my iPhone- 7:30. Half an hour after the meeting should have started, if Enjolras-our leader- hadn't been late. Grantaire leaned towards me. His breath, as usual, smelt like alcohol. "What's keeping Enj?" he said loudly, trying to be heard over the noise in the Musain. "It's not like him to be this late."

I shrugged. "Who knows? It could be anything."

"Maybe he's finally taken our advice gotten himself a girlfriend!" laughed Feuilly, pouring himself another glass of wine.

The café door slammed, startling us. Enjolras stalked in, dragging behind him a young girl. He marched into the room, and deposited the girl in a chair.

"Sit still, and keep your mouth shut," the leader in red hissed.

The girl responded by kicking him in the shin.

Enjolras winced, but stood his ground. Then he caught sight of us all staring him.

After a couple minutes of awkward silence, Combeferre piped up, "Hey Enjolras, how come you're so late? And who's the kid?"

Enjolras gritted his teeth. "My sister."


	2. Chapter 2

Courfeyrac's POV

The air in the café was tense with shock. "You have a sister?!" spluttered Joly.

Enjolras sighed. "Yes, I do."

-EARLIER THAT EVENING-

_Bang! Bang! _Enjolras was just preparing to leave for the Musain when someone started hammering on his front door. He groaned, but went to answer it, figuring there would be another annoying salesperson outside. Yanking the door open, he called out, "For Pete's sake I don't want anything. Get the hell out of here!"

"That's not a very nice way to talk to your sister, Enjy," an irritating yet vaguely familiar voice answered.

"Wha-?!"

Enjolras looked down. Standing on his doorstep was a girl who looked about thirteen wearing cutoff shorts and a hoodie that looked too small. She had the same piercing blue eyes as him, but had straight dark brown hair- contrast to his golden curls.

"Oh my God… Jennette?"

His sister.

He hadn't seen her since he'd left home eight years ago; he'd wanted to be as far away from his parents as possible.

"What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

"Mom gave me directions and told me to come here. I kinda need a place to stay for a while," Jennette replied, her eyes glinting; she could tell he was aggravated.

"Well, I can't exactly take you right now," Enjolras snapped at her. "I've got meetings to attend to and stuff."

Jennette smiled smugly. "You have to," she said, pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Enjolras. "Mom told me to give you this in case you protested."

He gingerly took the note, and unfolded it. It was an unmistakably typed note from his mother—her handwriting was terrible.

Enjolras,

Your father and I are going to Vegas for a while and we can't take Jennette with us. Keep an eye on her.

-Mom

Enjolras groaned. He'd be stuck with his sister for who knows how long. "Great," he muttered under his breath. Awful as his parents were, he wished they'd taken Jennette with them.

"So I guess you're stuck with me for some time," she said, reading his mind. A smirk slowly spread across her face. "I don't know when they're picking me up."

"I have a meeting right now," grumbled Enjolras. "C'mon, let's go. I'm late already!"

Jennette raised an eyebrow. "Geez, I just walked across New York City, and now you're making me come with you to some retarded meeting? Real nice," She put her hands on her hips. "You could just leave me here."

"And come home to find half of my stuff broken? I don't think so!" Enjolras huffed. Jennette widened her eyes in mock innocence. Her brother groaned again. "Alright, let's go," Enjolras reached out to grab his sister's arm, but she dodged his grasp. "You'll have to drag me there," she stated, smirking.

Enjolras sighed and lunged for Jennette again, but she jumped back. "This isn't funny," he snapped. "People are starting to stare!"

"They probably think you're trying to kidnap me," she replied, obviously not caring.

"Geez, you're so childish!" Enjolras thundered. He'd lost his temper. "Come on!" Before his sister could react, he grabbed her wrist and started dragging her down the street towards La Musain.

"Would you let go of me?!" screeched Jennette, squirming in his grasp. "You're cutting off my circulation!"

"Calm down!" her brother fired back. "It's not like I'm abusing you!"

His sister flinched as though he'd struck her. With a firm tug, Jennette wrenched herself free and started running down the sidewalk.

"Jennette! Quit being a brat and get back here!" her brother growled in frustration.

She glanced behind her but kept running.

"Jesus Christ! Why are you so immature?" Enjolras yelled, turning around and charging after her.

The chase lasted for ten minutes. Finally, breathless, Jennette slowed down, allowing her brother to catch up to her. He grabbed her arm. "Now we have to walk all the way back," he muttered, turning them around. Jennette stuck out her tongue at him.

"Stop it!" he hissed. "My god, you're annoying as ever."

"Thank you!" his sister giggled.

"Arrrrrgggghhh! You're such a pain!"

"Fabulous! My lifelong goal has been achieved."

The bickering continued until they reached the door of La Musain. Enjolras got his game face on.

"Okay, listen. When we're in there, you've got to keep still and be silent. Got it?"

Jennette rolled her eyes. "Sure, yeah, whatever."

-BACK TO PRESENT TIME-

Still Courfeyrac's POV

The café went through a couple more minutes of awkward silence. Finally, Marius spoke up.

"Wow, Enj, you never told us."

"Yeah,'' answered Enjolras, rubbing his shin. "You can see why."

"She doesn't look a thing like you," slurred Grantaire, drunk as ever.

"No, I think I can see some resemblance," mused Jean Prouvaire. "Yes, same eyes, same expression… only difference is the hair." He walked over and knelt down so he could see the girl's face more clearly. "She's adorable, too!" he added, smiling.

WHAP.

The girl slapped him neatly across the face. Jean Prouvaire stood up quickly, but the girl grabbed him by his shirt collar and pulled him back down.

"Don't…ever… EVER.. call me that AGAIN!" she snarled.

Jean Prouvaire's eyes widened. "Okay, sweetie, calm down…" He backed away cautiously, and hurried back to his seat next to me. "That was scary," he whispered.

"I know," I replied, giving his hand a squeeze.

Enjolras groaned. "Jennette! Would you control yourself?"

"But I hate being called that!" his sister protested.

"Whatever! Just don't go around smacking people, please!" He hid his face in his hands. "Why did I take you in?"

"How old is she, Enj?" asked Joly, clearly hoping to stop things from heating up. "My guess is around ten."

"Thirteen," huffed Jennette.

I raised my eyebrows. "Damn, you're really small."

She shot me a glare. "Shut it,"

"For god's sake, quit it with the attitude!" shouted Enjolras. "You don't need to be a jerk every time someone talks to you!"

Gavroche sidled up to me out of nowhere. "I need to say something," he whispered into my ear. "Can you get their attention?"

I nodded, standing up. "Listen, everyone! Gavroche has something to say."

Everyone turned to the boy.

"Officer Lamarque is dead."


	3. Chapter 3

Enjolras's POV

A stony silence filled La Musain.

"Lamarque…. Is dead?" I managed to choke out.

Gavroche nodded. "I heard police talking about it on their rounds of the city,"

Feuilly bowed his head in respect. "May he rest in peace,"

Grantaire raised a glass. "To Lamarque." The other Amis echoed him. "To Lamarque!"

"Whoa, first of all, who is Lamarque? And why are you making such a big deal about his death?" my sister asked.

I sighed, wishing again that I hadn't brought her. "Lamarque was the only man in the city who spoke out for us students and our rights. His death means we're in trouble."

"Yeah….what are we going to do now?" Combeferre asked me.

"Well, his funeral procession is probably tomorrow; we'll storm it in his honor!" I replied.

Jennette started laughing. "So you're honoring a guy you loved by interrupting his funeral procession? Seems legit."

"You don't understand, sister," I answered, rolling my eyes at her. "After we 'interrupt', we'll build a barricade in the streets."

"Basically we're starting a revolution," explained Feuilly. "We're fighting for our rights!"

"That's nice dear," said Jennette. "Good luck; you'll definitely need it."

"Stop it!" I cried. "You're so annoying!"

"Thank you!"

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

"For god's sake, would you two stop?" Marius yelled, leaping to his feet. It was the first time he'd said anything all evening. "I mean, I get that you're siblings and all, but we aren't going to get anything done if you two keep fighting."

"She started it!" I whined, losing my cool completely. Everyone cracked up.

"How old are you, Enjolras? Twenty-six going on five?" jeered Courfeyrac between howls of laughter.

"I'll babysit!" cried Grantaire.

"Very funny," I growled. "Put that bottle down!"

Even Eponine, who usually looked somber, was enjoying herself. "Does someone need a time out?" she taunted, shrieking with laughter.

"ENOUGH!" I screamed. "This is a meeting, my friends! Not a comedy show!" Turning to Jennette, I added, "And I am not going to be ridiculed by my BRAT of a sister!"

Jennette stopped smiling. Her upper lip began to quiver.

"Oh no…. Jennette, please don't cry-"

Too late.

My sister covered her eyes with her hands and began whimpering.

"Enjolras! You just made a kid cry!" scolded Eponine. She went over and put an arm around Jennette. "Poor thing! Was the leader in red being a jerk to you?"

My sister shot me a smirk as 'Ponine embraced her. I rolled my eyes.

"I think it's time we all went home," commented Combeferre. "We all need to be rested for tomorrow."

"Agreed," I replied. "Okay, everyone, see you all tomorrow morning, 7 am sharp!"

"R's still going to be drunk," muttered Joly. "He won't be of much use."

I ignored him. Glancing over my shoulder I noticed that Marius was following Eponine out the back door. This struck me as strange, but I faced the front again, only to find that everyone was gone. Jennette was waiting for me at the door.

"Nice friends," she told me as we exited La Musain together.

I groaned. "Look, I've really had it with the sarcasm,"

"No, really!" she replied, giving me the first real smile I'd seen from her. "I liked them."

I blinked. "Oh… Uh, thanks, I guess."

We walked on in awkward silence for a few minutes. Then, I turned to Jennette.

"Hey, sis… how come you walked here instead of being driven?"

She looked uneasy for a moment. Then she answered, "I don't know. They said it wasn't a far walk."

I snorted. "Yeah, thirty miles is just a walk in the park."

Jennette shrugged. "Well, it wasn't so bad. I started out at six in the morning."

"Jeez, you must be exhausted!"

"I'm okay, actually, Enjolras," she replied, giving me a little smile.

I raised my eyebrows. "You're tougher than I thought!"

Jennette muttered something under her breath.

"What?"

She flinched. "Oh, nothing."

"Okay," I said uncertainly. "Hey, did you bring any stuff? I didn't see any bags or anything when you were at the front door."

"I snuck around back before I went to the door," she replied. "Don't ask."

I played with a strand of my hair. "Um, alright,"

Neither of us said a word until we got to my back door. Sure enough, a black duffel bag sat on the back step. My sister picked it up.

"That's all?"

"I didn't bring much."

"Okay then… shall we go inside?"

Jennette nodded. I grabbed my key out of my jean pocket and unlocked the back door. "Home sweet home." I held the door open for my sister as she stepped inside my kitchen. "Not bad," she commented.

"Thanks," I said. "Here, let me take your bag. I've got a guest bedroom upstairs you can use."

Jennette handed her bag to me, and I lead the way through the kitchen and up a narrow staircase.

"Okay, so my room is on the right, yours is on the left, and the bathroom is in the middle," I told my sister, opening the door to her room and stepping inside.

The furniture in my spare room was pretty simple- a bed, bureau, side table, and closet. The walls were light blue, which didn't match the mahogany wood floors. "It'll do," Jennette murmured. I tossed her bag on the bed. "Do you want anything to eat or drink?" I asked.

Jennette shook her head. "Nah, I'm good,"

"But you haven't eaten anything all day!"

"Really, Enj, I'm fine…."

I shrugged. "If you insist."

"I think I'll just unpack up here, if you don't mind."

"Okay, I'll be downstairs in the living room if you need me."

About an hour later, as I was watching TV on the couch, Jennette appeared.

"What time is it?" she asked me.

I glanced at my watch. "Half past nine,"

"I think I'm going to go for a walk or something."

"Oh, okay, be back by eleven at the latest," I answered, keeping my eyes on the TV. "And don't make me come looking for you."

She nodded, and I heard the back door open and close as my sister went outside.

Eponine's POV

I knew Marius would never be mine from the moment we got to Cosette's house.

And maybe I'd known before then.

Why had I prevented my father and his gang from robbing the place, I don't know.

Loyalty?

Love?

But why should I give Marius what he never gave back?

I felt rain trickle down my face, mingling with my tears. "If only… there were some way to show him how I feel," I murmured to myself, finding a fairly dry part of the alley where I could cry to myself. All I could think of was Marius… my Marius.

Not mine anymore.

I crouched down and proceeded to cry my eyes out.

"Are you okay?" a gentle voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked up. Standing over me was Enjolras's sister, Jennette.

I blinked in surprise. "How… how did you know I was here?"

"I heard someone crying, and I came to investigate."

I looked down so that Jennette couldn't see the tears in my eyes.

She sat down next to me. "Sorry, but what's your name?"

"Eponine,"

"Well, Eponine, what's wrong?"

I sniffed. "I don't know if you'd understand,"

"Well, why are you crying?"

"The man I love -Marius- has found another girl,"

"Whoa, he was cheating on you? That's low."

I smiled sadly. "No, we were never together. I've always loved him, always been loyal…. But he's never repaid me!"

I proceeded to tell her how I'd promised to find Cosette's house and take him there.

"No offense or anything but this guy sounds like a total idiot. You deserve better than him!" exclaimed Jennette when I'd finished.

"You think?" I asked, surprised.

"Well, what do YOU see in him?"

I sighed happily. "Well, he's handsome and friendly…"

"That's it?!" Jennette cried. "Honestly dear, you can do better than him, if those are the only good qualities he has."

I thought for a while, and realized she was right. "You know, I kind of agree with that. He isn't such a great guy after all." I stifled a giggle. "What did I ever see in him?"

Jennette chuckled. "Exactly," she told me. "I don't know about you, but I think one of the guys at the Musain was eying you. Actually, a couple were."

I raised my eyebrows. "Who?"

"I don't know their names, but the guy with glasses and the guy who was drinking."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "Combeferre and Grantaire? No way!"

Jennette grinned. "Really! I say you make a move on one of them."

I blushed. "Well, I've never flirted with anyone before,"

"You could help with their little revolution tomorrow-that's what I'm doing."

My brow furrowed as I thought about it. "Well, my little brother Gavroche is going with them….why shouldn't I?" I smiled, thinking of the attention I'd get. "Even if we are girls, it wouldn't hurt to give the men a hand."

I turned to Jennette. "You're only a kid, but you've helped me more than I could ever imagine. "Thank you so much!" She blushed, then allowed me to give her another hug.

We stood up together. "I think we should tell each other more about ourselves," I told her, smiling. Then I noticed her hoodie was thoroughly soaked from the rain. "My god, don't you want to take that off? You look really uncomfortable."

"I'm fine," she snapped. Then noticing how startled I looked, she added in a more gentle tone, "Sorry, I'm just tired, that's all."

"Um, okay," I said a little uneasily. "Are you sure you're okay?"  
She nodded.

"Alright," I awkwardly cleared my throat. "So, you're thirteen, right?"

"Yeah."

"Cool, I'm eighteen. I want to be in college, but my family can't afford it," I smiled, hoping to lighten up the mood a little more. "My parents are no-good, so I just live in an apartment with my brother."

"Kind of like me, until my parents find… I mean until my parents get back," said Jennette, smiling a little.

The two of us wandered the streets talking, until I glanced at my watch. "Oh my god, it's almost eleven already! I should probably go check on Gavroche or something. Want to come?"

"Sorry, Enjolras wants me home by eleven. But I'll see you tomorrow!" said Jennette, giving me a hug. "It was really nice talking with you."

"You too!" I said. "Like the sister I never had."

I walked Jennette back to her brother's house, feeling happier than I had since being at La Musain.

But something didn't feel right about our conversation, and there was one thing I knew.

Jennette was hiding something.


	4. Chapter 4

Jennette's POV

"Hey," Enjolras acknowledged me as I stepped inside.

"Hey back."

"How was your walk?"

I shrugged. "Not bad," My hoodie was wet, and clung to my arms, but I didn't take it off.

My brother noticed this. "Don't you want to take that off? You're shivering like mad."

"No, I'm fine!" I snapped, stiffening. "I can take care of myself."

"Jeez, why are you so touchy sometimes? You act like I've done something to you," he replied, looking offended.

"You have," I muttered under my breath.

Enjolras heard me. "What?"

I didn't answer.

I was too busy reliving hell.

Eight years old and already taking on those twice my height, I'd been the toughest kid on the block, and unafraid of anything.

Except for one person.

Being somewhat of a klutz, I'd accidentally knocked over one of his beer bottles while getting a snack from the kitchen one afternoon.

CRASH!

"Shit."

As soon as he started yelling for me I dashed to my room and barricaded the door with my dresser, knowing the worse was about to happen. I'd barely had time to dive under my bed before my father started hammering on my bedroom door.

"Jennette! Open the fucking door right now!"

I cowered under my bed, as his angry words poured over me. In my whole life, this man had never shown me any affection of any kind. Neither had my slut of a mother, who would rather spend time at the bar than at home.

And my brother had left for college when I was five. I hadn't seen him since then.

All thoughts were interrupted when my father burst into the room, sending my dresser to the floor with a crash.

"WHERE ARE YOU?"

I held my breath. It was all over now.

Floorboards creaked as he pounded across them.

Overwhelmed by the stench of alcohol and cigarettes, I coughed. Instantly my father discovered my hiding spot, and dragged me into the kitchen. "Clean this up," he growled, shoving me down into the remains of the glass bottle. I winced at the glass cut into my face and arms.

"Fucking hate you," I muttered, standing up carefully.

Unfortunately, my father heard me. "What was that?!" he demanded, grabbing my neck in one hand and another empty bottle in the other. I winced. "N-nothing."

"It better be," he snarled. He smashed the bottle, right on my arm. "Wretched child!" he spat, dropping both me and the bottle.

I bit my tongue. It was all I could do not to cry.  
_

"Jennette! Are you alright? Answer me!" my brother cried, bringing me back to the present.

"Sorry, I was just thinking," I replied.

"About what?" he demanded. "You looked like you were about to cry!"  
I avoided eye contact. "Oh, nothing…"

"Sure, Jenne," he said, turning away.

"I'm going to bed now. See you in the morning," I said stiffly.

Enjolras didn't answer, so I just headed upstairs to my room. Quickly I closed the door so my brother wouldn't come upstairs and see me. I sat on the bed and pulled down my sleeve.

Enjolras's POV  
I watched my sister go upstairs. Something was up with her, I could tell. The refusal to take off her hoodie, the constant mood changes, the vague answers... what did it all mean?

I remembered the last time I'd seen her before this evening, about eight years ago.

I'd been just about to get in the car and leave for college when I felt something clinging to my leg. I looked down. It was Jennette. "Take me with you!" she pleaded.  
I smiled calmly, bent down, and pried her off my leg. "I can't, Jenne, I'll be too busy with school to play with you!"  
She turned on the puppy dog eyes. "But I'll miss you."

"I'll come visit in the summer," I promised.

My sister thought this over. "Okay," she sighed. Then she reached up to touch my hair. "May I?"

I nodded. Playing with my hair was one of her favorite things. I figured she deserved to do it one more time.

After a few minutes I gently moved Jennette's hand away. "Time for me to go now,"

Her face fell. "B-but I don't want you to go," she stammered, looking as though she might cry.

"I know," I said softly. "But I've got to."

I started to stand up, but my sister grabbed my neck and hugged me tightly. Hesitantly I hugged her back, then watched as she scampered indoors.

"Good riddance," I muttered, walking over to my car and getting in. As I started the ignition I looked back at the place I had grown up in. One thing was clear, I wasn't going to miss it. I doubted I'd miss Jennette either. She WAS my sister, but I didn't really like being around kids.

"TO THE BARRICADES!"

I took up the battle cry. It was show time for our little revolution. The other Amis and I dashed through the streets to the Musain, to where 'Ponine, Jennette, and Gavroche would be waiting. I'd wanted the girls to stay out of things, but they'd insisted they could help. "Don't be sexist, Enjolras," Eponine had teased. "We're capable of more than you think!"

"I just don't want you to get hurt!" I'd protested. "Then again, we all probably will."

We arrived at the Musain, breathless. Then we set to work building our barricade. Gavroche and his pals had scavenged the nearest dump for furniture, and the café was filled with stuff we could use. In no time had all, we had ourselves a huge barricade blockading the whole of Charles Street.

"I need someone to find out the military's plans!" I announced, turning to the Amis and other followers "Who knows when they'll attack?"

A middle-aged guy spoke up. "I used to serve in the army," he said. "I'll go."

I nodded to him. "Thank you, sir."

"Don't mention it. I'll be back by nightfall at the latest."

So we waited.

Finally, around seven in the evening, the gent came back.

"Well?" I demanded.

"No attack tonight," he reported. "I've overheard their plans. They'll strike in the morning."

"Liar!" shouted Gavroche.

Everyone turned to the boy, who grinned. "Good evening, Inspector. Nice of you to spy on us!"

At once, Courfeyrac, Grantaire and I surrounded the man. We gagged and bound him and locked him in a room above La Musain.

Minutes later, we heard numerous footsteps on the other side of the barricade. "Dammit, they're here!" I cried. "Everyone, to arms!"

All my friends grabbed the guns we'd been saving for god knows how long. I ran into the café to grab my own weapon, only to find my sister sitting at a table with her sleeves rolled down.

Running her fingers over numerous scars and bruises scattered across her arms.

"Wha-what is this?" I cried, running over to her.

"Nothing…It's nothing…" murmured Jennette, hastily trying to pull up her sleeves, but I grabbed her arms. "Oh my god…who did this to you?!" I yelled. The scars were horrible—worse than any I'd ever seen.

"Our father."

"What do you mean? When?"

"Since you left, Enjolras." My sister answered, turning away.

I sucked in my breath. All this time I'd been so concerned with revolution, and people's rights, and freedom.

What about family?

How I could I be so ignorant?

I looked at my sister sadly. "I am so, so sorry. If I had known before…. I… I would've taken you in…."

Jennette turned back to me, her eyes visibly filling with tears and fury. "No you wouldn't," she said fiercely. "You left me with that bastard. You've never given a fuck about me my whole life!"

Before I could respond she stood up and charged out of the café, heading straight for the barricades. I quickly tried to follow her.  
"Jennette! Wait! Come back here! You're going to get hu-"

BANG!

A lone gunshot rang out.

I heard a girl cry out in pain.

Silence.


	5. Chapter 5

Enjolras's POV

My heart stopped.

"No," I gasped. "NO!"

I ran over to the barricades and started climbing up. My sister was lying face down close to the top.

I reached her and flipped her over. Blood was slowly leaking from a hole in her chest. "Oh my god, Jennette, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault… Please don't be dead, I'll never forgive myself!" I glanced down at my worried friends. "Courfeyrac, get me Combeferre, Joly, anyone!" He rushed off. I turned back to my injured sister. Jennette was barely breathing, but her eyes were opening a little. "Enjolras….?"

"Jennette!" I cried, scooping her into my arms. "Thank god you're alive!"

My sister gazed at me with a faraway look on her face. "I…I'm cold…It's getting colder…"

I took off my jacket and wrapped it around her. "Don't worry, help is on the way!"

Jennette grabbed my hand suddenly.

"What's wrong?"

"Enjolras, there's something I need to tell you… our parents didn't send me here so they could go to Vegas. I ran away from home."

"But what about the note you brought? And how did you find my house?"

"I typed it up on Dad's computer and looked up your address in his files," Jennette answered, pulling down her sleeve and showing me an ugly, three-inch-long slash across her forearm. "He caught me just as I was finishing and gave me this."

My eyes widened in horror. "But… but that's from a knife!"

Jennette stared at me, her expression unreadable. "Yeah,"

"Why didn't you tell me the truth when you first got here?!" I demanded.

"You…you would've taken me back."

"Not if I'd seen your scars!"

A tear slid down Jennette's face, which was already covered in an icy sweat. Another followed. And another.

My sister-my fierce, tough-as-nails sister- was crying.

"Oh, Jennette!" I exclaimed, holding her close. "If only I had known all this before."

"I'd always been able to handle him before," she whispered. "But it's gotten worse in the past few months. I thought I'd just stay a couple weeks, and then go back and endure him some more." Jennette looked up at me, and I saw fear flash through her eyes. "Don't send me back!" she cried, grabbing me again.

"Shhh… it's alright… you're never going to see that man again, I promise you," I told her. Then I remembered I hadn't kept my last promise to her. "And I mean it this time."

My sister gazed up at me again, looking straight through me with those dark blue pools of expression. She reached up to my head, stroking my hair like she used to as a child.

I grasped her hand and caressed it gently, trying comfort her more. "You're going to be fine, Jenne, you'll see."

Jennette inhaled sharply, clutching at her wound. My sister sat straight up, gasping for breath. "Light," she murmured. "There's a light…" Her eyes began to close.

Now I was grabbing at her. "No, Jennette, you're going to be alright! Joly is on his way!" I couldn't tell whether she'd make it or not now, but I had to keep her calm. "Just… hold on."

She lay back down again, her breathing getting slower and lighter with each exhale. "I can't feel anything now. What a strange feeling." Jennette said quietly, smiling and reaching for my hand again. "Enjolras?"

"Yes?"  
"Tell….Dad…..I fucking… hate…him…." she gasped, shutting her eyes.

Her hand unclasped mine and she lay still.


	6. Chapter 6

Enjolras's POV

"Jennette! No!"

I scooped up her body and dashed down the barricade, colliding with Combeferre. "'Ferre…Jennette…she…"

He nodded. "Give her to me."

I passed him my sister and followed him into La Musain. Eponine stood up as we hurried in. "What's going on? I heard Jennette had been shot and I…" her voice trailed off and her eyes widened in horror when she saw my sister lying in Combeferre's arms. "Oh my God."

I nodded sadly, trying to hold in my tears.

"Is she…dead?"

"We'll find out soon," answered Combeferre. He turned to me. "Joly's got a makeshift bed upstairs. We'll use that until the paramedics get here."

"Well, let's hurry!" I exclaimed. "We don't have much time."

"Correct."

The two of us hurried upstairs to the room above the café where Joly was waiting. He'd found an old couch, and Combeferre placed my sister on it. She looked so small, lying there with blood gushing from her chest, and I found myself trying to stifle a sob as I watched her.

Joly checked her pulse and winced. "Almost nothing."

I turned to him in alarm "Is there anything we can do?"

"It might help if we cleaned the wound a bit," he replied. "I'll go grab some of R's alcohol. Can you guys take off her hoodie?"

I nodded. Joly rushed downstairs, while Combeferre and I carefully removed the bloodstained hoodie from my sister's body.

Instantly I got a full blast of the horror she'd been hiding. Covering a great amount of Jennette's frail arms were dozens of scars and bruises. She was wearing a worn grey tank top, and I could see even more on her upper chest, surrounding the hole the bullet had made. Again I had to swallow a sob as I took in the awful marks scattered across her body. I glanced at Combeferre. His eyes were wide with shock too, and he looked just as horrified as I was.

"Oh my god…Enj…Who did that to her?"

"My father," I answered, blinking away tears. "He's been hurting her ever since I left home."

"Wow, I didn't think anyone could hurt this girl."  
"Me either."

Just then, Joly came back in with a bottle of Grantaire's alcohol. I was surprised and glad he'd managed to get some; R was very protective of his drinks. "'Taire tried to stop me at first, but then I told him what it was for," Joly told us, as though he'd read my mind. "And he practically shoved it into my hands."

I laughed shakily and turned back to my fallen sister, pushing up her tank top so that Joly could clean the wound. He took one look at it and grimaced. "Enj…I hate to break it to you, but it looks really bad," Taking a closer look the hypochondriac added, "The bullet may have pierced her lung."

Combeferre checked Jennette's breathing. "I can barely hear anything, but she's still alive…"

"Thank god!" I cried.

"…only just."

I paced back and forth with worry, watching as my friends attempted to stop the bleeding, or at least slow it down. Five minutes later, Courfeyrac came upstairs and flung open the door. "Hey guys, the ambulance is here!"

Sure enough, three healthcare workers were behind him, carrying a stretcher. My friends and I stood back, watching as they lifted Jennette onto it and carried her to the waiting emergency vehicle. As soon as I heard them leave I ran downstairs, with Joly, Courfeyrac, and Combeferre close behind. Gavroche, who was sitting at table with his sister, looked up. It was obvious he'd heard what had happened. "Is Jennette going to be okay?" he asked, his bright blue eyes clouded with worry. He'd been acting differently ever since my sister had arrived—a bit bolder. And whenever she'd looked at him, he seemed to blush and look away. Did he have a crush on my sister? I couldn't imagine Gav liking any girl aside from Eponine.

I sighed and looked at him sadly. "I don't know… I really hope so." Again I felt tears threatening to erupt from my eyes. But I couldn't let myself cry in front of my friends.

"Courf, I need you to drive me to the hospital," I told my friend, trying to sound as calm as possible. "The rest of you find rides and meet us there."

My friends exchanged confused glances. "Uh, Enjolras…" said Jehan nervously. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Huh?"

"The revolution."

"Dammit!" I exclaimed, facepalming. "We'll have to explain to the army what's going on."

"How about we send that spy from earlier over to tell them?" suggested Bousset. "If one of us goes over, we'll have to send another person to the ER."

I nodded. "You're right. Good idea."

We retrieved the inspector from the room we'd locked him up in and told him what had happened and what we needed him to do.

"Oh my lord… yes, I'll definitely go, of course!" he exclaimed when I'd finished speaking. "Starting a revolt is bad enough, but shooting a child…" the man shuddered. "Horrible."

"Yeah… thank you, sir, er-"

"Javert," he answered, holding out his hand. "You can all go now, I'll take care of everything. My prayers for your sister!"

I thanked him and watched as he headed over to our barricade. It was good to have him on our side.

"Let's go," I said, turning back to my friends. "We've got a hospital to be at."

Half an hour later, all of us-Me, Marius, Grantaire, Courfeyrac, Jehan, Combeferre, Joly, Bahorel, Feuilly, Bousset, Gavroche and Eponine-were crowded into the hospital waiting room, awaiting news about Jennette. Strangely, Marius's new girlfriend Cosette had shown up as well. Eponine scowled when he introduced her, but I saw 'Taire reach over and squeeze her hand, and she smiled faintly.

We were all sitting there nervously for an hour, until finally a man in white came in. "You're all here for the girl, aren't you?" I nodded, standing up abruptly. "How is she?"

"I've got good news and bad news."

"Good news first, please."

He sighed. "The good news is the bullet didn't reach her lungs. It's wedged in between her ribs."

"And the bad news?" I demanded.

"She's lost so much blood that we've put her on life support," he replied with a pained expression.

I turned pale with worry. "C-can I see her?"

The man raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "And you would be?"

"Her brother!"

"Where are her parents?" he demanded.

"They don't care about her," I replied. "She lives with me." It took me a moment to realize that what I had just said wasn't exactly true. But then I promised myself that if Jennette survived I would take her in.

The man-who introduced himself as Dr. Burliss- lead me out of the waiting room and down a stone-cold hallway. The hostility was almost tangible and sent a chill down my spine. We reached a heavy metal door, which Dr. Burliss pushed open and I followed him inside.


	7. Chapter 7

Enjolras's POV

It took a moment for me to take in my surroundings. I was standing in a fairly small, dimly lit room that was crowded with doctors, nurses, and countless other people. In the center of all the commotion was a single hospital bed. Jennette was lying on it, hooked up to at least half dozen IVs and with a breathing tube down her throat. She was wearing one of those hospital gowns with the open back, and the scars on her arms were fully exposed. My sister looked even tinier than usual. Paler, too, but that was probably from all the blood she'd lost. I noticed that the bullet hole had been cleaned, but not sealed up.

"Jennette," I whispered, hurrying over and kneeling beside her. "Oh my god… I'm so sorry."

I grasped her hand. It was cold and clammy, as if all the life had been drained out of it. But I knew Jennette wasn't dead yet; the tube that was forcing oxygen into her lungs was connected to a machine that was keeping her alive.

Dr. Burliss stood over me, looking worried. "We may have to take her off life support eventually, I'm afraid."

"What?!" I cried. "Why?"

"We can't remove the bullet. If she loses anymore blood during surgery, she'll die," he replied. "Normally we'd use some of our donor blood, but there's no substitute for her blood type. It wouldn't work."

"What blood type does she have?" I asked.

"Type O."

"That's my blood type!" I exclaimed. "I can donate some."

The doctor gave a sigh of relief and smiled, breaking the intensity a little. "That would increase her chances of living by a lot."

I smiled a little back, keeping my eyes on my sister. "When can I get started?"

"We'll set you up in another room," Dr. Burliss replied. "I'll get one of the nurses to draw blood."

I sighed heavily with relief. At least I knew my sister would probably  
live now.

Five minutes later, I was sitting in a smaller, less crowded room—with a needle jabbed in my arm. It hurt a bit; I'd never been a fan of them. This is for your sister, I reminded myself. This is so she'll live.

She HAD to. It was my fault she was like this.

I should've visited her, like I'd promised. But back then she'd been just a little kid. I'd never taken her seriously; my only priority had been to keep Jennette safe, and happy—only because my parents hadn't. I remembered how I used to take Jenne to the local playground after school. And I have to admit, it was adorable, the way she'd beg me to push her on the swings, or play tag with her…it made me smile thinking about it. But then I recalled always looking forward to leaving for college, so I could get away from my family... Jennette included. A wave of guilt washed over me, and I blinked away tears for about the fiftieth time that day.

"Um…Excuse me…" a female voice brought me back to reality.

"What?" I snapped.

The nurse blinked nervously and looked startled. "We're finished."

I looked down at my arm. The needle had been removed, and she'd put a bandage on it. "Oh, okay, great."

She led me back into Jennette's room, where Dr. Burliss was waiting. "Wonderful," he said, taking the pouch of my donated blood from the nurse. "We'll begin immediately."

"Wait," I said. "Could I…..could I have a couple minutes alone with her, please?"

He sighed. "Five minutes, that's all."

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, watching as he asked everyone else in the room to clear out. When everyone was gone, I went over and sat by Jennette's bed, staring at her nearly lifeless body. I took ahold of her hand, even though touching it sent a chill down my spine.

"Hey…Jenne… I know you can't hear me right now, at least I don't think you can….. But… I just want you to know…. I'm sorry. For everything. I should've come back for you. I shouldn't have treated you like a nuisance the way I did yesterday. I…."

My apologetic ramblings were interrupted by a sob. I didn't realize that it had come from me until the tears I'd been holding in all evening starting to fall in torrents down my face. "Jennette, I'm sorry!" I cried, not caring who heard me. "I've been a horrible brother….you deserve better than this."

I watched her for a couple more minutes, waiting for myself to stop crying. Then I stood up and exited, taking what could be one final look at my sister.

Dr. Burliss was waiting outside. "Ready to go?"

I nodded, and the two of us started walking back down the dead quiet hallway. The awkward silence between us didn't make things any less hostile.

Finally, the man turned to me. "Do you know anything about her scars?" He was looking at me with such a suspicious expression that I realized that he must have a hunch it was me.

I swallowed hard. "Yes, they're from my father."

His expression softened. "Oh…. I… I'm sorry to hear that," he murmured, lowering his gaze. "We'll do everything we can for her."

"Thank you," I told him gratefully.

He left me at the door to the waiting room, his footsteps echoing down the stone-cold hallway.

Gavroche's POV

The moment Enjolras walked in, we pelted him with questions.

"How is she?"  
"Is she still alive?"

"Is she going to be okay?"

"How much longer are we going to have to wait?"

Enjolras looked up. I could see the remnants of tear streaks on his face.

"Oh Enj… You've been crying." Jehan (looking very close to tears himself) stood up and wrapped his arms around his friend. "What happened?"

"She…She's still alive," Enjolras stuttered. "They're going to remove the bullet now, and then…then she'll hopefully be just fine."

Hopefully?!

I wasn't sure how I'd carry on if Jennette didn't survive, even though she barely knew who I was. To her I'd been just another face. The moment Jennette had walked into La Musain, I knew things would never be the same again. And it wouldn't be, if she died.

We all sat there in icy silence for a few minutes. There really wasn't anything we could do except wait.

"Hey, um, Enj…" Courfeyrac said after a while. "Those scars on Jenne's arms…. What are they from?"

Enjolras looked down. "My father… he… he's been hurting her ever since I left," I watched as our once-mighty leader in red buried his face in his hands. "And now she might die, and it's all my fault."

Jehan promptly burst into tears and clung to Courf.

My sister gave Enjolras a sympathetic hug. "Enj, she's going to live!" She didn't sound very hopeful, though. "We're staying until everything's over."

"You guys don't need to wait here all night," Enjolras told her. "All of you can just go home, and I'll call when I get some news."

We all started protesting, but he held up his hand. His decision was final.

Most of the Amis started to leave, but 'Ponine and I stayed behind for a minute.

"Enj, how are you going to get home?" I asked. "You don't have a car."

He gritted his teeth. "I'm staying in a hotel nearby for the night."

I turned to my sister. "Can we do that too?"

She sighed. "Sorry, Gav. As much as I want to, it's too expensive."

"Oh…. Okay." I answered, following her out the door. Enjolras watched us go.

On the car ride home, I stared out the window, watching the downpour which had just begun.

Jennette never left my thoughts.


	8. Chapter 8

Enjolras's POV

I woke up to My Chemical Romance's 'Bulletproof Heart' blasting in my ear—my phone's ringtone. Sitting up, I grabbed it and answered, while blinking the sleep out of my eyes. "Hello?"

"Is Mr. Enjolras Durand there?" a male voice asked.

"Speaking," I replied. "Who is this?"

"Dr. Burliss from Midwood Hospital. I'm calling to notify you of your sister's condition."

I suddenly remembered that I'd given my number the front office before I'd left. "Oh, how… how is she?"

"….She didn't make it through."

(AHAHAHAHAHAHA, JUST KIDDING XD)

"The surgery went beautifully. We managed to remove the bullet and stitch things up, finishing around midnight." Dr. Burliss told me, sounding very happy. "She's in the recovery room now, and already wide awake and asking for you."

In the background I heard a girl's voice say, "Tell him to get his butt over here right now!"

I sighed with relief and smiled. "Oh, thank god! I'll be over as soon as I can."

I hung up and got out of bed, nearly bouncing up and down. YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES! My sister was going to live! I was so thrilled, I could barely control myself. I got dressed, packed up the few things I'd brought, and headed downstairs to check out and walk down to the hospital.

On my way there I called Courfeyrac to tell him the news.

"…..Hello?"  
"Hey, Courf, it's Enj."  
"I know. Ever heard of caller ID?" He sounded kind of irritated. "Why the fuck are you calling so early?"

"Huh?"

"IT'S SEVEN IN THE MORNING."

"Oh, shit, sorry. I'm calling because of Jennette."

His tone changed from pissed off to hopeful. "Did you get some info about her condition?"

"Yeah! She's going to be fine. I'm heading over to the hospital right now. Tell the others and meet me there?" I told him

"Definitely!" he replied. Then added, with a laugh. "I just told Jehan the news, and now he's bouncing around the room like he just won the World Series."

He was right—in the background I could hear muffled cheering. "He still likes my sister even after she slapped him in the face and pretty much attacked him?"

"Apparently!" snickered Courfeyrac. "See you in a bit, then?"

"Definitely!" I answered. "Bye!"  
_

Jennette's POV

"Where the hell is he?!" I demanded, ignoring the nurses' protests and trying to stand up for the fiftieth time, only to have clutch at the bed railing to keep from falling over. I knew I wasn't strong enough stand by myself yet, let alone walk. Not that it stopped me from trying.

"No, sweetie, stop! You're going to hurt yourself if you keep doing that!" one of the nurses exclaimed.

"I don't care!" I shouted at her. "I want my brother!"

Before she could stop me, I leapt out of my hospital bed, only to have my knees buckle below me as I crumpled to the floor.

The nurse groaned and helped me back up. "See hon, I told you, you need time to recover first."

I reluctantly climbed back into bed, fingering the stitches in my chest. I honestly didn't remember much of what had happened since I'd been shot. The last memory I had was lying in Enjolras's arms and being in a lot of pain. I also vaguely recalled later hearing his voice and feeling his hand clasped tightly around mine. He might've been crying, too. Wow, he hadn't shown that much concern for me since I was, like, three.

"Jennette!"  
I looked up, only to see a blur of red and blonde charging towards me. My brother grabbed me, forcing me into the tightest hug I'd ever had in my life. "Oh my god, I'm so fucking glad you're okay. I thought I'd lost you!" He didn't let go.

"Enj-" I wheezed, but he cut me off.

"The others are in the waiting room; I'll bring them in in a minute; they'll be so thrilled to see you!"

"Enj-"

"I'm going to visit you every day until you're well enough to come home, okay?"

"ENJ!"

"What?" His tone changed from happy-as-fuck to concern. "Is something wrong?"

"Go easy, I just got stitches, you know." I told him, laughing and rolling my eyes.

My brother smiled sheepishly and let go of me. "Sorry, I'm just so happy. How do you feel?"

"Still a bit sleepy," I answered. "And my chest aches a lot. Also, I can't stand up or walk without falling over."

"Awww, don't worry, you'll be able to in a few days." Enjolras said, hugging me again (with less force than before).

He ruffled my hair affectionately and stood up. "Be right back. I'm going to bring the others in."

"More visitors will only exhaust her!" interjected one of the nurses irritably.

"Ha! I couldn't care less!" I told her.

She sighed. "Fine, but only for a little while."

"Great!" My brother grinned, and left.

Five minutes later, he came back with five people: Grantaire, Courfeyrac, Jehan, Eponine, and a boy with shoulder-length blonde hair whom I'd seen at the café but didn't really know. I glanced at him with curiosity. He had the brightest eyes I'd ever seen, like little crystalized pieces of sky. They seemed to brighten up the room, almost as much as his smile did. I noticed he was holding something behind his back. The boy caught me looking at him and blushed a little. I shot him a little wink. What a cutie…

It didn't seem possible, but Jehan was even more thrilled than my brother was. He was legitimately bouncing up and down; Grantaire and Courf had to restrain him.

"OHMYGODI'MSOGLADYOU'REALIVEBECAUSEIWASSOWORRIEDYAKNOWANDYESTERDAYTHEYSAIDYOUMIGHTDIEANDI'MGLADYOUDIDN'TBECAUSEYOU'RESUCHACUTIESORRYPLEASEDON'TSLAPME!" He was like a kid who'd eaten all of their Halloween candy and gotten sugar-high.

Jehan broke free of his friends' grasp, ran over, and nearly squeezed me to death with a hug almost as tight as the one my brother had given me. "Um….help?" I muttered, gasping for breath.

Laughing, Courfeyrac came over and pried me out of his partner's grasp. "Alright, my little poet. Let the poor thing breathe." Jehan giggled and attached himself to Courf instead.

"Jenne!" Eponine ran over and gave me a hug as well. "I'm so glad you're okay!" I smiled and returned her embrace. "Thanks."

She released me and placed a hand on the blonde kid's shoulder. "This is my brother, Gavroche."

He smiled shyly. "Hi there,"

I felt color rushing to my cheeks and smiled back. "Hi!"

Gavroche took out what he had behind his back —a single white rose. "This is for you," he murmured, looking at the floor and blushing.

I toke the rose and leant forward to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you,"

"'Atta boy, Gav!" laughed Grantaire.

"Awwwwww!" squealed Jehan, erupting in giggles again. "You guys are adorable!"

I was too busy gazing into Gavroche's eyes to notice what he'd called me. He was looking back at me the same way, and a grin was spreading slowly across his face. A strange, warm, fluttery feeling flowed through my entire body, and my entire soul, something I'd never felt before.

_Is this what love feels like? _

I'd never liked anyone before. At least, not in a romantic way. But something about this guy was different. He had gorgeous eyes and a charming smile. He barely knew me, yet he was sweet enough to bring me a rose.

"I….um…I…" I couldn't find words.

Jehan continued giggling like a lovesick psychopath.

"I've been teaching him how to flirt," Courfeyrac said in a stage whisper.

They all stayed until around five in the evening, and probably would've stayed longer, if the nurse hadn't threatened to call security on them if they didn't leave so I could get some rest. But my brother promised they'd come back tomorrow, so that I wouldn't get bored sitting in bed all day. As soon as they left, I had dinner and tried to get some sleep.

A few hours later, I woke up to find my room dark and empty. I glanced at the clock on the wall. 11:30…. Dang, I wasn't going to fall asleep for a while. There really wasn't anything I could do to pass the time, since I couldn't get out of bed. I'd have to just lie in bed thinking.

_Creak._ A noise from the far side of the room startled me. I looked up quickly. The door was slightly ajar, and still opening slowly. I inhaled sharply. Had some crazy psychopathic patient escaped their ward and was prowling around killing people? If I weren't injured, I would've been able to take them on easily.

"Jennette?"

Someone uttered my name, nearly causing me to jump out of my skin. "W-who's there?"

A boy with shoulder-length blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes appeared from behind the door. "It's me, Gavroche." The 'psychopathic patient' walked inside and kneeled next to my bed.

"Jeez, you scared me!" I told him, laughing nervously. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see _you_, Jennette," he whispered, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "You're not like any girl I've ever known. For starters, you're much tougher. And ten times as beautiful…."

I grasped his hand and smiled, blushing. "I've never met anyone like you, either,"

Gavroche sat on the bed beside me. "Ever since you arrived here, I haven't been able to think about anything else except you. When you first stepped into the café…" he paused, stroking my cheek. "Something in me changed. I don't know what it is, but something's different. And you changed my sister's life, too. I've never seen her this happy."

I smiled. "She deserves so much more than that Marius dude she was telling me about."

He laughed. "Yeah, she used to talk about him all the time, and now she's focusing on flirting with Combeferre and Grantaire."

"I'm glad I could help her," I replied. "By the way…. How'd you get in here?"  
"Oh, I have my ways," he answered with a wink, tickling me under the chin, which caused me to giggle and swat at him playfully.

The two of us talked for hours, until finally Gavroche glanced at the clock. "Wow, it's almost 2:30 in the morning. I should go!" He gave me a hug and stood up. "I'll be back tomorrow with my sister and everyone else."

"Bye," I murmured, watching him go, the sensation of his touch still lingering on my body. From that moment on, I knew nothing would ever be the same again.


	9. Chapter 9

Jennette's POV

Gavroche visited me every night after that. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so happy. I mean, I was happy enough around the others, but Gav was….. Different. He was my age, for starters, which made it easy to find things in common with him. One night, as we were sitting in my ward-I had been moved out of the recovery room and into a room of my own- he asked if I wanted to for a walk.

"I can't," I told him (it had been only a couple days since my surgery and I was still fairly weakened). "I'm not strong enough to move around by myself yet."

"Then I'll help you," he answered, helping me stand up, then placing an arm around my shoulders and allowing me to lean on him. I put an arm around his waist for extra support.

Slowly and cautiously, I took a couple steps forward, with Gavroche supporting me. At first I stumbled and nearly fell, but he caught me before I hit the floor.

"Don't worry," Gavroche said, tightening his grip and helping me up again. "I've got you."

We managed to get out of the room and down the hall without falling any more. But at the end of the hallway, there was a huge staircase.

"There is no way I can get down there like this," I stated.

"I know," answered Gavroche. "I'll carry you down."

"Really?" I giggled nervously. "Are you sure you can?"  
"Heck yeah!" he persisted. "You're a wisp of a thing. It'll be easy."

He was right—I was about 4'4 and weighed around 70 pounds. Yeah, I was pretty tiny for my age.

Gavroche grabbed me by the legs and hoisted me over his shoulder, laughing as I squirmed with discomfort.

"Really, Gav? Was this what you had in mind?" I tried to sound mad, but I couldn't help giggling.

"No, you're too beautiful for that," he smirked, setting me down, and then scooping me into his arms bridal-style.

For a minute we just stood (well, he stood) there, gazing adoringly into each other's eyes. Gavroche leaned forwards until his nose was almost touching mine.

"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" he whispered.

"Huh?"

"Because you must be an angel."

I stuck my tongue at him. "You flirt! I almost was, if you know what I mean."

"I'm so glad you weren't, baby. I don't know what I'd do without you."  
Gavroche didn't take his eyes off me even when he was going down the stairs (fortunately without falling). I rested my head on his shoulder, gazing back at him lovingly.

"Okay, put me down now." I told him once we got to the bottom.

He grinned. "Nope, I think I like you better like this."

I rolled my eyes, laughing a little. "Gav, put me down!"

"Eh, maybe later."

I gave him a jokingly stern look. "Gavroche Thenardier, put me down right now!"

"Alright, alright!" he muttered, gently lowering me to the floor. We resumed the position we'd had before, with me leaning on him for support.

We went on in silence for a few minutes. It was so late at night that there weren't any other people in the hallway.

"Jenne," Gavroche began after a while, his expression changing from smiling to serious. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything!" I answered, looking at him curiously. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing." He avoided my gaze. "I was just wondering…."

"About what?" I pressed.

He hesitated.

"Gavroche, tell me."

"What are those awful scars on your arms from?" he spoke slowly, as if it pained him to ask of such things.

I abruptly stopped walking and turned away from him, already feeling tears beginning to form in my eyes.

Gavroche's POV

"Jennette…." I grabbed her hand before she could pull away.

"What?" she snapped, her expression filled with bitterness and hurt.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that…"  
Jennette sighed. "It's okay," she murmured, turning back to me. "They're from… my father. He tends to play with knives a lot."

I understood what she was implying instantly. My eyes widened in horror. "That can't be true- I can't believe he-"

"Believe it," she said bitterly. "He's done worse than that before."

"I'm so sorry…" I whispered.

"I know," her voice was starting to sound high-pitched, and I knew she was on the verge of crying.

"Hey, If it makes you feel any better, my parents used to abuse my sister and I, but then we got our own apartment," I told her, squeezing the poor thing's hand tightly. "And you're moving in with Enj! See, you'll be okay."

Jennette held my hand so hard I nearly cried. "I hope so."

"I promise you will, love." I said, patting her on the head. "And despite those scars, I still think you're the most beautiful girl in the world."  
A faint smile appeared on her face. "Thanks Gav."

"My pleasure," I answered, then checked my watch. "It's getting late, and I should go soon… want me to carry you back to your room?"

"Oh my god, yes please."

Jennette's POV

I stayed in the hospital for two more weeks after that. Every day, I'd try to walk, and it got easier and easier. Soon I could take a few steps on my own, but then I'd have to lean on Gavroche or Eponine or one of the others for support.

"It's like watching you learning to walk all over again," my still excessively happy brother commented on the eighth day of my recovery time.

"You taught me how to walk?!" I couldn't hide the surprise in my voice.

"Yeah!" he answered, smiling broadly. "You were only a year old then, so you wouldn't remember anyways."

"AWWWW!" squealed Jehan. "I wish I could've seen you as a little kid! You must've been the cutest!"

"She still is pretty little," Courfeyrac said to him.

"I know, and still adorable as ever!" his partner replied, giggling.

"Thanks guys," I said, ignoring the fact that he'd called me cute. I'd kind of gotten over people doing that. If they thought I was adorable, let them say it. I didn't have much right to lash out at them for their opinions.

Finally, almost a week later, we got word from the doctor that I was okay to go home. My brother helped me to pack up all the get-well presents I'd received (mostly from Jehan and Gavroche) and stayed close by my side as we went down the stairs—although I could walk, I was still pretty unsteady and needed a bit of assistance.

"Want me to do up your seatbelt for you?" Enjolras asked, helping me into his car.

"Enj, I'm not five anymore!" I groaned, rolling my eyes and doing it myself.

He blushed a little and climbed into the front seat and started the car. "I know, I know. But please let me pretend you are today!" he said, reaching back and squeezing my knee.

I gave in. "Oh, fine." Clearly my brother felt guilty about not being there for me before. It wasn't his fault…. He couldn't have known about what my father did.

**_Not true._**

**_Enj left you to suffer._**

**_It was because of him that you were already dying before the nearly fatal shot had fired. _**

_No, no, no! It wasn't his fault._

**_He doesn't deserve to be happy that you're alive. He should have had the guilt watching you take your last breath._**

_I suffered from my father for eight years, but he would've had to suffer from the image of my dying face for LIFE._

**_He deserves it, after what he did to you…_**

_SHUT UP!  
_  
Angry thoughts swirled around my mind, seeming to pound against the sides of my skull, resulting in an excruciating headache. I did my best to mentally stabilize myself before my brother could notice. He had enough to worry about already; I didn't need to make any more contributions.

"Jenne, we're here!" Enjolras's voice brought me back to reality and out of my mental prison. Hearing his voice seemed to dissolve it, and I felt sane again.

It wouldn't last forever, though. One hour alone and those haunting thoughts would come creeping back. Such things had echoed in my mind when I still lived with my father. Not all scars are on the outside.

My brother got out, walked around, and opened the back door, helped me step out, and led me in through the front door.

"What are we gonna do now?" I wanted to know.

A smug smile grew on Enjolras's face. "Oh, you'll see soon enough,"

Clearly he had something planned, because he practically dragged me inside. When my brother got excited, he rushed everything: tossed my stuff on the couch, shot a text to god-knows-who, and grabbed my arm and began dragging me upstairs.

"Enj, what the heck?!" I yelled. "Let go of me!"

Enjolras grinned and laughed like a psycho. "Nope! Sorry, Jennette!"

"You're nuts!" I screamed, squirming in his iron-like grip.

We scaled the staircase in a matter of seconds, and he finally let go of me, stopping in front of one of the upper floor doors (I wasn't sure which room).

I looked at him in confusion. "What's going on?!"

He nodded towards the door. "Open it."

I grasped the cold metal doorknob, twisted it and pushed the door open.

The room was pitch black, sending me into an even more confused state. I opened my mouth to ask my brother again what was going on, but a sharp push from him sent me flying into the dark room.

I did my best to regain my balance, whimpering in confusion. "Enj, what's happening?"

"SURPRISE!"

The lights flicked on, and I found myself surrounded by Grantaire, Combeferre, Courfeyrac, Eponine, Jehan, Gavroche and several of my other friends who had visited me in the hospital in the guest room.

Except it didn't look like the drab, boring guest room I'd slept in two weeks ago.

It had been completely redecorated. Even the dull blue-so-light-it-looked-grey walls were now a pretty shade of maroon. The formally wooden bed frame had been replaced with a black metal one that had a canopy. A black-and-white tribal print comforter with matching pillows had been spread across. On the other side of the room, I saw a black wooden vanity (adorned with a vase of fresh white roses identical to the one I received from Gavroche) and a dresser, and a desk as well. They'd even gotten a small black leather sofa.

It was pure heaven compared to my room at my dad's.

"What…oh my….…. oh my god…" I couldn't find words, and I felt tears of joy beginning to fall down my face already.  
Jehan grabbed me and pulled me into another of his famous hugs-of-death. "We did it for you, sweetie. It's time you had something of your own."

I hugged him back, smiling through my tears. "Thank you." It was all I could say at the time. "Thank you!"

I looked at the thirteen smiling people surrounding me. "Thank you so much!"

Eponine snatched me out of Jehan's grasp and hugged me almost as tight as he had. "You deserve it, lovely."

"It took us three days to put it all together, but it was worth it!" Gavroche chirped, winking at me.

"So that's why it was only Enj who visited me those days! He knew about this the whole time!"

"He planned the whole thing, actually." Courfeyrac said.

I turned to my brother, my face practically glowing with gratitude. "Enjy…."

He said nothing, only smiled.

Another tear trickled down my cheek, and I wriggled out of Eponine's arms, launching myself at my brother.

Enjolras wrapped his arms around me, and I could tell from the wetness on my shoulder that he was crying too. I held him tightly, smiling and sobbing at the same time.

Meanwhile, Jehan was squealing like a piglet on Red Bull. "TOO MUCH CUTE! OH MY GOD! COURFY, ARE YOU GETTING THIS?" His partner nodded, holding up a video camera which had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Any love left for me?" a voice behind me said. I turned around and found Gavroche standing right behind me, his brilliant sky-colored eyes shining.

"Of course, you idiot!" I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.

The two of us stood there in each other's arms, hanging on like there was no tomorrow. Finally, we pulled apart, smiling like mad.

Gavroche grabbed my hand and pulled me close again, gazing at me adoringly.

"I love you."

I could hardly breathe. No one had said that to me in years. Another torrent of tears cascaded down my face.

"I love you too." I'd grabbed him by the neck and held him as tight as possible.

Jehan had used up half a box of tissues and was nearly passed out from "Too… much….cute."

I'd never known such happiness in my whole life.

The haunting thoughts that had earlier penetrated my mind never returned.


	10. Chapter 10

Jennette's POV

The next few days were some of the happiest I've ever known. I hadn't smiled so much in my entire life. My brother treated me like I was the only person he cared about. A week after I got back from the hospital, he begged to take me shopping, "To get some clothes that actually fit you," as he put it.

"But Enjy!" I protested. "I don't want you spending a ton on me!"

"Are you kidding?" he exclaimed. "I've never gotten the chance to spoil my little sister before!"  
"You don't need to," I muttered.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaase?" he pleaded. "I'll go down on my knees and beg if I have to."

I sighed and laughed. "Christ, Enj, you're embarrassing me!"

"GOOD!" he answered loudly, ruffling my hair. "Come on, it's not like I'm buying the whole world for you."

I groaned in surrender. "Fine…."

So he'd dragged me to the mall and spent the afternoon shopping. I nearly had a fit when I found out the total amount he'd spent on the receipt—at least $400 on clothes and stuff for me.

"ENJY!"

"Relax, Jenne. It's not like I have anything else to spend it on!"

I sighed. "Okay, okay…thanks, bro."

My brother hugged me. "Anything for _my sister_."

It was four in the afternoon by the time we got home. Enjolras suggested we watch a movie.

"Definitely!" I agreed. "I can't remember the last time I watched one!" _Probably when I was about five._

He popped one of those corny Disney movies into the DVD player and sat on the couch beside me. But just as the opening credits began, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" I exclaimed, jumping up from my seat.

"Okay! I'll pause it until you get back," answered my brother.

I skipped into the front hallway, my heart soaring. Enjy hadn't been this nice to me since I was a little kid. I knew his knowing about my childhood was part of his change in attitude, but honestly, I was so grateful that he was around that I didn't care. When I'd first arrived, I'd been scared he'd walk out of my life and leave me again, but now that he knew what I'd been through, it was unlikely for that to happen.

I reached the door, hesitating for a moment to wonder who was there. Gavroche? Jehan? Another of my brother's friends? I wished there was a window in the door so I could see.

Grasping the metal knob, I yanked the door open.

"Hello _darling_,"

The foul odor of cigarettes and beer filled my nostrils, and I looked up, wondering who the heck the visitor was.

Instantly, I regretted opening the door.

Staring down at me and smirking malevolently stood…. My father.


	11. Chapter 11

Serge Durand towered at least two feet over me, his figure seeming to block out the sunlight outside. I'd been so happy with my brother that I never imagined he'd come looking for me._ Stupid, stupid girl…._

He stormed through the doorway and gave me a shove that sent me to the ground.

"You thought you could run away from me, eh? Thought you could defy me?" he bellowed, smacking me twice across the face.

I couldn't move. I lay petrified on the floor, until my father grabbed me by my neck and shoved me against the wall. "You've got some nerve, you little slut!"

I let out a cry of pain as he punched me in the jaw. "That's right, I'll make you scream! You'll scream alright!"

He grabbed my neck, his fingers compressing into my throat. My lungs burned as my oxygen was cut off. I tried to scream for my brother, but I couldn't breathe. _Help me!_ I shrieked in my head. _HELP!_

Enjolras's POV

I must admit, part of the reason I was being so nice to my sister was because I felt guilty about leaving her all those years ago. I'd been a jerk before, when she'd first arrived here, but she deserved better than that. Jennette was actually pretty fun to be around. I found that I really enjoyed spending time with her, more than I had when she was little.

Figuring it was one of my friends at the door, I sat on the couch, waiting for my sister to bring them in. But three minutes passed, and there was no sign of Jennette or any visitor. Well, that was worrying.

"Who is it, Jenne?" I called out, figuring she was talking to them or whatever in the doorway.

There was no answer.

Then I heard some faint, unnatural noises. It sounded like….strangled cries. Worried, I stood up and ran into the front hallway, only to find my father with a clearly terrified Jennette pinned to the wall, throttling her.

It had been years since I'd laid eyes on him. The man hadn't changed a bit—unshaved face, breath reeking with stale alcohol and cigarette smoke, strong figure. And a temper worse than anyone else's.

My sister heard me come in and stared at me with wild, helpless eyes, and her lips began mouthing something.

Help me.

In that split second, something inside me snapped, and my older brother instincts took over completely.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!"

My father whirled around in confusion, still holding Jennette by the neck. "Son," he said, a hint of surprise in his voice. He squinted at me with his small unintelligent eyes and smirked. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"I am no son of yours," I growled. "You lost that right years ago. Let her go!"

The man laughed madly, tightening his grip on my poor sister's throat. "Taken a shine to the brat, eh?"

I tried to push him away from Jennette, but he stood his ground, and punched my sister in the jaw, his fingers still tightly clasped around her neck. The poor thing was turning blue from loss of air.

I mustered all the strength I could, and punched my father right in the face. The man staggered, clutching his probably broken nose, blood dripping all over his face and hand. He let go of Jennette, who crumpled to the floor, gasping. I stood over her, putting myself between her and my father.

He looked up, a murderous expression on his bloodstained face. But there was nothing he could do anymore.  
"Get out," I hissed.

"You can't keep me from my daughter," he rasped.

"I SAID GET OUT!" I yelled. "You touch Jenne again and you'll get worse than a broken nose."

The man gave us one final glare, and fled, slamming the door behind him.

I knelt by my sister hurriedly. The poor thing was curled up in a ball, shaking and crying.

"Jennette…. Sweetheart…." I whispered, scooping her into my lap. "I'm so sorry."

Jenne clung to me, sobbing her little heart out.

I held her close, trying to comfort her as best I could. "Shhh…. It's going to be okay, I promise you."

Jennette looked up at me with sad, wet, tear-filled eyes, red from crying. The poor thing was like some frightened little animal. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but another heavy sob came out instead.

"I won't let him hurt you." I said fiercely. "Jenne, I promise you, as long as I live…. _I. Will. Protect you."_

She only held me tighter, tears still pouring down her badly bruised face.

I wiped away a few tears and stroked her head soothingly. "I'm right here, little one. And I always will be."

(*AUTHOR'S INTERRUPTION* ENJ STOP BEING SO FUCKING FLUFFY, YOU'RE KILLING THE READERS)

My sister clung to me for another half hour. Little by little, the crying ceased, and the awful trembling became less violent.

I took hold of one of her petite hands and gave it a tight but gentle squeeze. Jennette squeezed back, still sniffling loudly.

"Everything's going to be fine, Jenne." I said to her gently.

"I'm scared," she whispered, clinging to me again.

"But sweetie, you're going to be alright," I answered. "If ANYONE tries to hurt you again…. They'll have to get through me first."

Jennette looked up. "…..Really?"

"I promise." I stated, wrapping my arms around her protectively.

My sister was silent. She reached up and gently pulled on a strand of my hair, smiling ever so faintly.

I smiled back. "Hey, why don't we go back and watch the movie?"

Jennette nodded. I moved her off of my lap and stood up, and she followed me back into the living room.

My sister snuggled up next to me for the entire movie, clinging to my arm as though her life depended on it. The poor thing was probably half traumatized. For god's sake, she'd been face to face with death twice in one month! It was questionable that she'd ever be the same again. I missed her fearlessness and spunk. But now I knew the life she'd been living for the past eight years. It must have been horrible, never knowing whether she'd live to see the next day. I was glad Jenne had found me, or I never would have known before it was too late….

When the ending credits of the movie began, I glanced at my sister. She was leaning against me, eyes closed, breathing softly.

Asleep.

Probably extremely overwhelmed from everything that had occurred that afternoon, because it was only half past six.

(*Dies while writing because of fluff*)

Aww…..she looked so cute, curled up like that…. I was almost tempted to leave her there.

Gaaaah! I was turning into Jean Prouvaire!

Carefully, I stood up, and lifted Jennette into my arms, trying my best not to wake her. She didn't even stir though, so I carried her upstairs to her bedroom and tucked her in. I hadn't done that in a long time.

I went back to the doorway and was about to leave when I paused, and turned around, watching my little sister. Even though a few weeks ago her presence was the last thing I wanted, now she was one of the most important things in the world to me. There was no way I was letting go of her ever again.

"_Goodnight, Jenne_," I whispered.


	12. Chapter 12

Jennette's POV

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" my brother asked for the fiftieth time. He had a job interview today, and had to leave me at home. "I can drive you over to Combeferre's if you want-"

"Enjyyyy!" I whined. "I'm thirteen! I can stay home alone just fine!"

"I know, I know," he admitted. "But if he comes back… you know who..."

I stiffened at the mention of my father, and my heart began beating faster. It had been over a month since he'd shown up at Enj's house and tried to strangle me. Enjolras had saved me just in time, but the memory still gave me nightmares.

Enj noticed my uneasiness and patted me on the head comfortingly. "Hey, I'm sure you'll be safe though. Eponine is bringing Gavroche over in a little bit, so you won't be lonely."

My heart did a little flip at the mention of my boyfriend. Gav was one of the best things that had ever happened to me, which is saying a lot, because I'd been miserable for most of my life. He was such a sweetheart—when I first met him after I'd been shot, he'd kindly given me a rose. His later actions showed that it had been out of love, not sympathy. We'd only been going out for a month now, and hadn't really done much, just holding hands, hugging, that kind of thing.

"Well, I should get going now," Enjolras said, picking up his brief case and giving me a peck on the cheek. It was weird to see him wearing a suit and looking so formal. He'd even tied his hair back to look more professional. "Be good, okay? And remember to call me if you needed anything."

"'Kay," I acknowledged. "Good luck with the interview!"

"Thanks!" my brother answered, smiling. "See you in a while!"

I watched him drive away in his scarlet Toyota. It stirred a memory from nearly eight years ago….

_ I attached myself to my brother's ankle, trying to stop him from leaving. "Enjy, wait! Take me with you!"_

_He knelt down and gently pried me off, smiling. "I can't, Jenne, I'll be far too busy to play with you!"_

_"But I'll miss you…" I pouted, trying to look as sad as possible so he'd stay. _

_"I'll visit you whenever I can," Enj said quickly._

_"Okay…" I blinked away my tears, and reached up to tug gently on a strand of his luxurious golden curls. "May I?" I adored playing with his hair. _

_He nodded. I set to work trying to put his hair in a little braid. As my uncoordinated, five-year-old fingers began twisting it in knots, Enjolras gently moved them away. "Okay sweetie, it's time for me to go now."_

_I nearly burst into tears. "B-but…but I don't want you to go…."_

_"I know," he answered calmly. "But I've got to." He tried to stand up, but I grabbed him by the neck and hugged him one last time, then ran inside so I wouldn't have to watch him drive away._

_Little did I know he would never come back….. _

__I had to grab at the railing to keep myself from falling over, the memory echoing over and over again in my mind. It wasn't the first time I'd had these little flashbacks. They would never end. My brother didn't even know I was having them. I wasn't going to tell him… he had enough to worry about. I went upstairs to my room and flopped on my bed. Enj and his friends had kindly re-decorated the old spare bedroom when I'd first come back from the hospital. It was my favorite place in the whole world, aside from La Musain. The bedroom-if you can even call it a bedroom- at my father's was basically an oversized closet with some old bed and dresser in it. I'd spent many terror-stricken nights there, usually crying myself to sleep. Just thinking about it sent a chill down my spine.

A car door slammed, causing my train of thought to crash. I glanced out my window, and saw Gavroche and his sister heading up the front steps. Seconds later there was a knock on the door.

"Coming!" I shouted downstairs. Quickly I glanced at my appearance in the mirror, then charged down to answer the door.

"Hey sweetheart!" Gavroche pulled me into a hug the moment I opened the door.

"Hi babe," I answered, smiling.

"Hi Jenne!" Eponine chirped. She was much happier than she'd been when I'd first met her. The talk I'd had with her back in late June seemed to have given her a huge boost in confidence. 'Ponine had sent an application into a local college in early August, and she'd been accepted. I'd also heard from Gavroche that she was flirting a lot more with Combeferre and Grantaire.

"Hey!" I replied. "Come on in!"

"Unfortunately I can't," Eponine admitted, making a face. "I've got to fill out more college applications, ugh! But you two have fun, okay?" She ruffled her brother's hair. "I'll pick you both up around three."

I stared at her in confusion. "Why both of us?"  
A mysterious, smug smile appeared on Gavroche's face, and he and Eponine exchanged a wink.

"You'll see."

I pouted at him. "Gavvyyyy! Tell me!"

He grinned. "Nope, you'll have to find out on your own." I made a face at him.

"I need to go," said Eponine, checking the time on her watch. "You kids have fun! See you later!"

The moment she pulled out of the driveway, I pulled Gavroche inside and slammed the door.

"It'si us time,/i" I whispered, smiling mischievously and grabbing him by the hand and practically dragging him into the living room.

He pretended to look scared. "Anything but that!"

"Oh, stop," I teased. "You i know /i you love being alone together."

Gavroche grinned. "I admit, I do." He pulled me closer to him, and kissed the top of my forehead affectionately. It was pretty easy for him, since I was about a foot shorter than he was.

The day passed fairly quickly. Gav and I didn't really do much, just played a few board games, curled up and watched a movie together…. At one point he'd chased me around the house a few times, but other than that, things were uneventful. Before I knew it, it was already 2:30. When I mentioned this to Gavroche, the mysterious smile he'd worn earlier returned to his face.

"What are you smirking about now?" I demanded.

"Oh, nothing," he giggled.

"Sure," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

Gav paled a little bit and took hold of my hand. "You'll find out soon, babe, I promise,"

"You know I hate surprises… They make me nervous." I groaned.

"It'll be okay!" Gavroche insisted.

I surrendered. "Fiiiiine…."

At that moment there was the sound of a car outside.

"Great, she's early!" Gavroche said excitedly, grabbing me by the arm and dragged me into the front hallway.

"Gav!" I protested, grabbing my sandals before he could drag me outside. "Not this again…"

He laughed like a madman and ignored my complaints, still pulling me towards the door. "I can't wait to see your face when you find out… it's going to be so funny…"

Minutes later, we driving through the city, yet I was still in the dark as to where we were going. I'd pestered Gav and 'Ponine about our destination numerous times, but they wouldn't spill. It wasn't until I threatened to cry that Gavroche-fighting back laughter- said, "Okay, I can't take it anymore." He turned to his sister. "Should we tell her?"

"Might as well," she replied with a smug smile.

Gavroche turned back to me and took a deep breath. "Okay… we're heading out to upstate New York. Courf's parents are letting him use their old summer home, and he's invited everyone up for the afternoon."

He smiled broadly as a grin spread across my face. "Awesome!" I squealed. "How long does it take to drive there?"

Eponine glanced at us in the rearview mirror. "About an hour and a half."

I groaned. "You're kidding me."

"I'm not," she replied. "But don't worry, it'll go quickly."

"This is going to be so much fun!" I gushed, slipping my hand into Gavroche's.

Ninety minutes and several games of 'I Spy' later, Eponine pulled into the driveway of this cute, moderate-sized cottage. It was much, much quieter than back in the city, and it had a sort of tranquil aura about it. The building was surrounded by a vast forest, complementing its rustic look.

"It's beautiful," I breathed, having never been out of NYC before. "Wow…."

Gavroche kissed my hand. "Isn't it? C'mon, I'll show you around."

He helped me out of the car as soon as Eponine parked, and together we ran up the stairs of the adorable little porch in the front of the cottage. Courfeyrac, Jehan, and Grantaire were sitting on one of those porch swings. Jehan broke into a grin when he saw me.

"Jenne!" he squealed, leaping out of his partner's lap and giving me a smooch on the cheek (He's creepy like that sometimes) "So glad you're here, sweetie! Do you like it?"  
I nodded vigorously. "It's so cool!"

"You haven't even seen the whole thing yet," Gavroche told me. "Come on!"

Gav lead me around the entire property, showing practically every nook and cranny. It was an absolutely gorgeous house. We saw a lot of my brother's other friends, and the guy Eponine had told me about—Marius. He was sitting with an arm around the waist of a pretty blonde girl. They'd visited me together in the hospital, but I still didn't really know her name. Colette? Corsette? No, it was Cosette. She smiled at Gavroche and I as we breezed through the room. I could see why Marius liked her: good looks, sweet, bubbly personality, and a dazzling smile. But Eponine had the same traits! Why didn't he like her? Romance is complicated shit, I guess.

Finally, we finished our tour of the place. Gavroche and I headed back to the porch, where Courfeyrac and the other two were waiting.

"Do you like it?" he asked, grinning.

"It's amazing!" I answered. "I absolutely LOVE it!"  
Courf laughed. "Yeah, it's too bad my folks won't let me move in. But then again-" -he paused to give Jehan a kiss- "I'd be separated from my little poet and all my friends!"

"Awww, Courfy… You know I hate being separated from you, my love." Jehan giggled.

Gavroche and I exchanged a glance. Those two went a bit overboard with the romance stuff sometimes.

"There you two are!" exclaimed Eponine, emerging from the kitchen. "On the counter there's a box of brownies, which you so KINDLY helped me to bring in!"

Gav grinned sheepishly and shrugged, and I did the same. 'Ponine's stern expression faded and she laughed. "You two are too cute for words!"

She barely had time to say that before we ran into the kitchen, grabbed at least three brownies each, then scampered out to the backyard, giggling.

We hung out in some old, easy-to-climb tree, eating brownies and striking weird triumphant poses.

"Man, I wish we got to come here more than once a year, instead of just the last day of summer," said Gavroche, his mouth full of chocolaty goodness. "I don't want to go back to school…."

I groaned. "Me either. But," I went on, slipping my hand into his free one (fortunately not covered in chocolate) "at least we'll be together."

He smiled and rested his head on my shoulder. "That's true. You're in most of my classes, plus we've got the same homeroom."

We sat up there for what seemed like eternity until Combeferre came outside, obviously looking for us.

"Jennette! Your brother's here!"

"Coming!" I yelled from up in the tree. Gavroche helped me climb down, then raced me to the porch… I won.

We found Enj lounging next to Feuilly on the porch swing. He'd changed out of the suit he'd been wearing when he left that morning, and now he was wearing his usual navy blue jeans with a red sweatshirt.

"Enjy!" I squealed, pulling out of Gavroche's grasp and leaping into my brother's arms.

"Hey kiddo!" he smiled broadly and gave me a hug. "How was your day?"

"Great, thanks!" I giggled, then poked him hard in the chest. "You knew about this the whole time, didn't you?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah… I did."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "No more surprises."

"Okay, okay!" he agreed, laughing.

"So how'd the interview go?"

"Pretty good! I think they liked me. They're going to contact me in a few weeks," my brother answered.

"Yay!" I climbed out of his lap and went back to stand next to Gavroche. We started to leave, but Courfeyrac interjected: "Why don't you two hang out here?"

Gav turned to me, his expression questioning. I shrugged. "Sure."

"Yay!" cheered Jehan.

Gavroche sat down in a deck chair and patted the spot next to him. I took a seat, and he put an arm around my shoulders. The whole porch was silent except for the _squish_ of Joly reapplying his hand sanitizer.

"So…." Combeferre started, trying to make conversation.

"Has Gavroche kissed you yet, Jenne?" blurted Jehan.

"PROUVAIRE!" Gavroche looked so annoyed and embarrassed, it made me laugh out loud.

"Well?" This time Courfeyrac was asking.

"No," Gav admitted. He gave me a sly glance. "Not yet."

_Not yet. _

Well, that had to mean something.

I leaned closer to him, my lips brushing the tip of Gavroche's ear. "_Make it soon._" 

"_Of course,_" he breathed back, grasping my hand tightly.

"We'll make sure to give you two privacy, then!" my brother laughed.

I blushed and stuck my tongue out at him again. "Cut it out!"

Hours later (around 8 pm) after we'd all eaten and everything, Combeferre got a fire going in the backyard, and we all sat around it. Grantaire got out his guitar and played a few songs for us. We'd just finished singing 'You Belong with Me' when Gavroche cleared his throat and made direct eye contact with Grantaire. The alcoholic nodded, and passed the instrument to him. All eyes turned to Gavroche.

He cleared his throat. "Umm… I'd like to play -and sing- something for Jennette."

Soon everyone's gaze was focused on me instead. I turned bright red and laughed nervously. "Since when can you play the guitar?"

"R's been giving me lessons," he mumbled.

"Okay…" I wasn't quite sure how to react to that. Hopefully there hadn't been much alcohol involved.

Gavroche took the guitar pick Grantaire had given him and began to play. I recognized the tune instantly.

_"Good little girl_

_Always picking a fight with me_

_You know that I'm bad_

_But you're spending the night with me_

_What do you want from my world?_

_You're a good little girl…." _

Jehan looked as though he might have some kind of fit, he was bouncing up and down so much. If it weren't for Courfeyrac putting a hand over his mouth, Gavroche's song would've been interrupted by numerous "AWW!"s

I looked Gavroche right in the eye, and in a loud, clear voice, answered:

i_ "Bad little boy_

_That's what you're acting like_

_But I really don't buy_

_That you're that kind of guy_

_And… if you are… tell me why_

_Why not just say goodbye?" _

Gav looked directly at me, shaking his head and grinning.

_"Good little girl_

_You've stolen my heart away_

_I like how you smile_

_And make fun of the words I say…" _

I chimed in for the last two verses.

_"Who would've thought I could fall? _

_It's not so bad after all…." _

"THATWASTHECUTESTTHINGIHAVEEVERSEENOHMYGODGAVYOUARETOCUTEFORWORDSJENNETTESWEETHEARTYOUHAVETHEBESTBOYFRIENDCOURFYWHYDONTYOUDOTHATFORME?" Jehan was bouncing around again and squealing uncontrollably. And actually CRYING.

"Aww, sweetheart…. you know I have no musical talent!" Courfeyrac chuckled, trying in vain to control his hyperactive partner. The others laughed, because, really, it was true.

Gavroche took Jehan's distraction as an opportunity to put Grantaire's guitar down, grab my hand, and lead me away from the fire circle.

"Gav! Where are we going now?" I demanded.

"I have to show you something," he answered mysteriously. "Come on!"

The sun had almost set, casting an orange glow on the grass as it slowly disappeared into the horizon. Gavroche lead me to the way, way far back of the property, to foot of this hill I'd noticed earlier, but never had the chance to climb until now. It had a cute little wooden bench at the top, perfect for watching a sunset.

"Isn't it amazing?" Gav asked me once we reached the top, sitting down on the bench.

I took a seat next to him and leaned against his shoulder, looking out at the horizon. The sun had vanished, and darkness was falling fast. Stars were already starting to appear, twinkling in the late-summer sky.

I turned back to Gavroche and smiled. "It is."

Gav laughed softly and leant forwards, the tip of his nose brushing mine. "No, I mean it's amazing how madly in love I am with you." He came closer still. _"My angel…."_

_"My one and only…." _ I whispered, closing my eyes.

His lips pressed softly against mine, he grasped the back of my head gently and pulled me closer. I felt his tongue practically down my throat, but I didn't mind. Gavroche's lips twisted and turned, and it seemed like it would go on for eternity, but finally we came up for air. After about half a minute of breathing time, I dragged him under again, savoring the sweetness of his lips. I felt like I was floating, or in a dream… it didn't seem real. But it was. I could practically feel our mutual adoration in the air.

We kissed until the sky was pitch black, the stars shining even more brilliantly than before. I could hear fireworks going off over and over again, sparks flying between Gavroche and I.

No, seriously, there were actual fireworks. Later we found out that Courfeyrac had found some firecrackers in his parents' shed, and (illegally) set them off. In the distance I could hear my brother and the others calling my name, and my boyfriend's. I didn't move from my seat, though, and neither did Gavroche. I wanted to remember this night forever. I knew I would.

_It was the most magical night of my life... _


End file.
